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There are
times when the best film commentary comes from a pastor. Not just any pastor,
mind you. There are some who practice such complete avoidance of movies that
they lack a healthy perspective. Their discernment is hindered by a willful
ignorance of God’s gift of cinema.

At the
same time, there are others (and not just pastors) who practice such complete immersion in the world
of movies that they too lack a healthy perspective. Their discernment, however,
is hindered, not from ignorance, but from overstimulation. It can be
tricky to find a balance between the two. As I attempt to acquire a greater
sense of that balance, I am grateful for one author—one pastor—whose writing on
film has dramatically changed my life. Because I have learned so much from him,
I wanted to share some of the wealth of his knowledge with my readers. That is
why I am honored and excited to interview Pastor Wayne A. Wilson. He is the
author of Worldly Amusements, which
is one of the five most influential and li…

In the last few weeks, we’ve been examining the claim that simulated sex scenes are not real sex. Some argue that, because mainstream movie sets are tightly controlled and highly contained, these scenes cannot be categorized as sexual in nature. As I heard one person put it, “Even when filming sex scenes, film sets are the least erotic places on earth.”

Thus far, we have looked at three problems with that line of
reasoning. Let’s complete this blog series by examining two more problems. 4. Sometimes the Sex Isn’t Simulated I
said earlier that a typical sex scene in a film, TV show, or stage play doesn’t
involve actual penetrative sex. I used the word “typical” for a reason: there
are atypical mainstream forms of entertainment where actual sex does take place on set. I won’t link to
them, but there are plenty of lists of which films show actors (or body
doubles) engaging in bona fide
copulation. Furthermore,
to quote a 2012 article from The
Independent, “films where the actors have real, a…

In
2004, the television series LOST introduced the world to several new (or fairly unknown) faces, not
the least of which was Evangeline Lilly. And unknown until very recently, LOST introduced
Evangeline Lilly to a seedy undercurrent of Hollywood’s secret subculture. A
few weeks ago, Lilly made a guest appearance on a LOST-related podcast hosted by Jack Shepherd (yes, really) and Jacob Stolworthy. During
the interview, Lilly revealed how she was coerced into partially disrobing
for a scene: In Season 3, I’d had a bad experience on set with being
basically cornered into doing a scene partially naked, and I felt I had no
choice in the matter. And I was mortified and I was trembling. And when it
finished, I was crying my eyes out. She continued by describing a similar situation in Season 4,
after which she put her foot down and outright refused to take her clothes off
for the show ever again. At
this point, much has been made in the media of these two experiences—and rightly so. What I
want …

A Hollywood set is a professional work environment. Whenever a sex scene is filmed, the atmosphere is far from erotic. It’s only as real as two actors pretending to argue, or two actors pretending to fight to the death. Because the sex is only simulated, it can’t really be counted as sexual—and certainly not as actual sex. So
the argument goes. It’s an argument I’ve addressed before (here and here). Last
week, we looked at the first of five problems with the “sex scenes aren’t real
sex” logic. Now let’s look at problems two and three.2. It’s Not True This
second point comes into greater focus after taking into account what we learned
from Mindy Kaling earlier: there are actors who find sexual enjoyment and/or
arousal during scenes of simulated intimacy. That alone points to the sexual
nature, not only of the finished product of filming these scenes, but the
actual filming of these scenes. Think
about the alternative. If we maintain that these scenes of simulating sex acts
are not sexual,…

A couple weeks ago, we looked at a chapter from Mindy Kaling’s book Why Not Me?, entitled “I Love Sex Scenes!” In it, she claims that she isn’t the only one who enjoys onscreen simulations of sexual intimacy. And even though she uses some hyperbolic language to make her point, she’s still right in that she is not alone:

“The conventional response to sex scenes is that they’re horrible and not sexy and it’s all so unnatural. But I’ve always found filming sex scenes to be quite a turn-on. I like the experience of being in a sexual position when you’re not supposed to be in one.” (Hugh Grant)“Sex scenes are great. A lot of my costars have been sexy guys my age who are really respectful and cool. So, why not? I’m not going to pretend it’s not fun.” (Amanda Seyfried)“You are not supposed to say that you enjoy doing sex scenes, you are supposed to say ‘Oh it’s really difficult, you know with the lighting and the cameramen and the boom operators are all watching,’ but I never had that. I just…

I confess
that I found the trailer for Fallout to be one of the most
engaging, thrilling, and exciting ads of my trailer-watching experience. I
loved it (and still do). The cinematography, frenetic action, and fight
choreography—all edited in sync with Imagine Dragons’ song “Friction” and
layered with Lalo Schifrin’s Mission:
Impossible theme—made my cinephile self’s mouth rabidly water with ecstatic
anticipation.

Of course,
few movies can live up to that kind of hype. Was my excitement justified, or
did I crush Fallout with the weight
of my unrealistic expectations? That’s what we’re here to find out. As a
reminder, I rate movies based on three criteria: objectionable content (C), artistic merit
(A), and my personal opinions (P). CONTENT
(C): 9 out of 10 During the
CIA headquarters break-in scene in the very first Mission: Impossible film, Ethan Hunt stops one of his team members
from killing a guard. His instructions are emphatic: “Zero body count.” Hunt’s
noble desire to spare innocent…

My
introduction to Mindy Kaling was through the NBC hit sitcom The Office. Kaling not only played one
of the main characters in the show, but also acted as a writer and eventually a producer. She
penned one of my favorite episodes (“The Injury”), and she wrote another
episode (“Diwali”) that has my favorite line from the entire series.

I haven’t kept
up with Kaling’s career since The Office.
However, while researching future writing projects, I planned on skimming a
couple of her books. They were easy and enjoyable reads, and I ended up
devouring almost the entirety of both volumes. There’s a certain charm to
Kaling’s personality and writing style. She’s witty, funny, and entertaining. One of
Kaling’s books, Why Not Me?, has a
chapter entitled “I Love Sex Scenes!” In it, she explains why she is attracted to sexually charged scenes: “Obviously, on-screen sex is not actual
penetrative sex, but as any religious high-schooler will tell you, simulating
sex can be pretty damn enjoyable as wel…

Most Popular Posts

The first assault against Jennifer
Lawrence was heavily discussed in the news and on social media. The second has received
comparatively little fanfare. The first incident resulted in an FBI
investigation, subsequent prosecution, and an upcoming sentencing. The legal ramifications of the second incident are practically
nonexistent. The overall response to the first was outrage. The response to the
second was indifference.

What were these two incidents? The
first, as you may have guessed, was the 2014 iCloud hack in which private/nude photos of several female celebrities, including
Lawrence, were stolen and published online. The second incident involved the
filming of Jennifer Lawrence’s first sex scene (for the sci-fi movie Passengers). Let me set the stage by
sharing three similarities between the photo hack and the sex scene.
First, in the aftermath of the photo hack, Lawrence experienced anxiety. “I was
just so afraid,” she later said. “I didn’t know how this would affect my caree…

Several years ago, Kate Beckinsale
was conned into signing a movie contract that required nudity—something she
didn’t want to do. With her acting career in jeopardy, she found herself
browbeaten by the director. “I was really disturbed and I was sobbing and
begging,” she said.
At long last, she gave in to intimidation and performed the nude scene, which
made her feel
“violated and horrible.” Afterwards, she secretly urinated in
the director’s thermos in revenge.

In more recent history, one
actress from the HBO show Game of Thrones mustered up the courage to refuse doing any more nude
scenes. She is reported as saying
that she wants to be known for her acting, not for her body parts. (It’s a
sorry state of affairs that requires such a statement to be made in the first
place.) When the show started, she didn’t have nearly enough clout to buck the
system. A season of the show’s overwhelming popularity may have been what put
her in a better position to bargain with the producers. Would yo…

If you’re a fan of the 2014 film God’s Not Dead, and if you’re excited
about its upcoming sequel, you and I probably have several things in common. We
likely agree that historic Christianity is becoming less and acceptable in the
public sphere. We likely agree that many of our nation’s college campuses are
becoming more and more hostile to individuals who adhere to any form of
absolutes. We also likely agree that there is an increasing need for believers
of all types—students, teachers, pastors, filmmakers, etc.—to engage with our world
in an effective and countercultural way. It’s actually because of these
shared beliefs that I’m majorly concerned with the popularity of God’s Not Dead (and other movies like
it). And it’s because of these shared beliefs that I want to explain my concerns to you. I’ll put aside most of the
artistic issues I have with the film. (For that, I’ll direct you to my cyber
friends Steven D. Greydanus and Peter T. Chattaway). My main focus here will be on the mov…

* CONTENT ADVISORY: This topic requires a certain level of
frankness that may be inappropriate for some readers. While I have taken great
pains to avoid titillation, reader discretion is still advised. * Last week, we looked at the four main ways in which motion picture sex scenes and pornography are different.
Now I want to show how these factors actually prove to condemn Hollywood’s
methods rather than excuse them. Argument #1: There is often a difference in production
values. Motion pictures are a form of art, whereas porn is unabashed
titillation. Hollywood’s mash-up of blatant
sexuality (nudity and sex scenes) and aesthetics only serves to make its
displays of sex more alluring to the viewer. As supposed works of art,
Hollywood films are concerned with giving their audiences pleasure through
beauty. That’s what aesthetics are all about. What is ultimately more alluring:
a sex scene with bad lighting, poor audio quality, and shoddy production work,
or a sex scene with good composition…

So there I was, surrounded by church members, my pants wet,
my blood boiling. This wasn’t what I needed—at least, that’s what I told
myself.

The morning had started innocently enough. Shannon and I
arrived at our church building later than normal. Because of the pouring rain
and the packed parking lot, I said I would drop Shannon off at the front and then
go park and bring our Bibles and notebooks in. (After all, with an umbrella and
a raincoat at my disposal, my trek across the parking lot wouldn’t be too bad.)
Shannon didn’t want me lugging the books in the rain, so she
grabbed them before heading into the building. I then parked near the back of
the lot and reached for the umbrella.
It wasn’t there. Not in the back seat…not in the front seat.
Not anywhere. Shannon must have taken it inside with her.
Okay. No big deal. I still had my raincoat, and thanks to my
memory of a once-watched YouTube video, I had learned the trick to staying relatively
dry while traveling in the rain: wal…

Yes, I am
still on a Greatest Showman kick. Cut
me some slack, though. My wife and I only saw it for the first time just under
three weeks ago. The soundtrack still plays almost daily in our home, providing
near endless opportunities for our toddlers to daintily prance and spin as they
sing along with “The Circus Man” (as they gleefully call him). Besides, for
someone who’s as unhip as myself, it makes sense that I would be taken in by
such an uncool (according to critics), and yet wildly popular (according to general audiences), movie.

So, what
is my point in writing another post about this particular film? To gush like a
fanboy who has staked a personal claim to gold-encrusted, front-row seats on
the Greatest Showman bandwagon? Not exactly.
(That’s just a happy side effect.) The point of this blog post is to…well,
point out a unique aspect of the song “A Million Dreams.” After listening to this
song a bajillion times (give or take a few), I’ve noticed something
extraordinary about i…

I recently read through Genesis 15, where God reassures Abram, who is currently childless, that he will have numerous descendants (which God had initially promised in Genesis 12:1-3). Abram’s response leads to something amazing: “And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

Commenting on this verse, Martin Luther says, “Righteousness is nothing else than believing God when He makes a promise.” The anti-intuitive nature of this statement struck me forcefully. You see, I am unconsciously inclined to think that my striving hard to do well is the kind of righteousness that pleases God. When I obey a particular law, do a good deed, or reject a temptation, then I have earned at least a small degree of God’s favor. But that is not how it works.

God definitely blesses our faith-inspired efforts, but such efforts are…well, based on faith—that is, confidence in God’s promise to pardon and accept me through Christ’s atoning work. If I attempt to som…

Last week, we looked at
Hollywood’s underground culture of sexual
abuse: how actors are routinely coerced into violating their consciences by
performing nude scenes and/or sex acts on screen. While audiences have grown
comfortable with watching such scenes, actors are often uncomfortable (or
worse) with filming them.

Isn’t it true, though, that some actors
willingly undress for the camera? The simple answer is, of course, yes. But
it’s an answer that requires at least two clarifications. And since women are
the majority of the victims in these circumstances, we’ll focus on women for
the rest of the article. First, it’s not as easy as you
might think to discern the difference between willing and unwilling
performances. Take just one example (or, rather, an example in several parts)
from recent history, all involving a “willing participant.” Actress Margot Robbie recounts
how her audition went for the movie The
Wolf of Wall Street. She showed up for the audition in her usual
look: jeans …

Your argument robs adult women of
agency because it says outright that they
are not consenting and implies they
cannot consent. It infantilizes adult women and asserts that they can only
be protected by men with a white knight impulse. We’re getting into an area
where women are regarded as little more than sheep, being led by whatever crook
is nearest.
As regular visitors know, over the past few years I have
focused much of my blog’s attention on how the entertainment industry places
pressure on actors to perform nude and/or sex scenes for audiences. It’s a
problem that is at once both tacitly acknowledged and blithely ignored. I have
argued further that those who suffer most under this burden are actresses.
With my emphasis on women, some readers have responded with
major concerns. I am both thankful for and alarmed by this feedback, because
the quoted critique above is not what I have meant to communicate. Not at all. I
offered a …

Let me tell you about a film that’s garnered a lot of
publicity. The story revolves around a wealthy and debonair businessman with
serious control issues. His sexual tastes involve perverse fantasies, but he
gets what he wants because he’s rich, powerful, and handsome. In telling this
story, the movie doesn’t shy away from depictions of the sex act. The audience
is inundated with sex, in fact. The debauchery is enough to make a lot of
people sick, either with revulsion, pleasure, or a mixture of both.

Do you think I’m talking about Fifty Shades of Grey? Actually, I’m referring to The Wolf of Wall Street, which came out on
DVD just last year.
Many prominent Christian critics loved WoWS, as I pointed out earlier. Fifty Shades of Grey,
on the other hand, has been either ignored or condemned. And yet there are some
glaring similarities in how both movies handle sex.
They both employ stylistic techniques that were labeled as hardcore porn just a few decades
ago. These techniques involve …